¡®Quality, not quantity¡¯ key to Chinese internationalisation

China should continue to?refine policies and open up options for international students if it wants to continue on its path of rapid internationalisation, according to??in 바카라사이트 ECNU Review of Education, published by East China Normal University this month.

While China successfully grew overseas recruitment from nearly nothing to 500,000 students in 40 years, 바카라사이트 new focus should be on quality, not quantity, 바카라사이트 authors write.

¡°The Chinese government insists on opening up and internationalising HE, even in 바카라사이트 post-pandemic period,¡± Yuting Zhang, an associate professor at Zhejiang Normal University and 바카라사이트 paper¡¯s co-author, told?온라인 바카라.?¡°However, quality has been a policy priority in recent years. Expansion at 바카라사이트 expense of quality won¡¯t be encouraged any longer.¡±

The paper recommends having different policies for different types of international students, plus greater institutional autonomy in areas such as degree-programme admissions. It also suggests that universities build up capacity in a variety of majors and not just 바카라사이트 ones traditionally popular with international students, such as medicine. The proportion of overseas students enrolled in degree programmes, particularly at 바카라사이트 postgraduate level, should be increased.

There should also be quality control in teaching and learning, ¡°considering 바카라사이트 differences between international and local students, in terms of political and cultural backgrounds¡±, 바카라사이트 paper says. ??

¡°Universities should have more institutional independence in management, including managing international students; however, this doesn¡¯t mean 바카라사이트 absence of government,¡± Dr Zhang said. ¡°Actually, 바카라사이트 government should enhance its responsibility in legislation, supervision and accountability to guarantee education quality.¡±

Dr Zhang and her co-author, Yu Liao, tracked internationalisation efforts by reviewing 112 policy papers dating back to 1978, when China hosted only 1,236 foreign students and 바카라사이트 higher education system was ¡°seriously damaged¡± by 바카라사이트 Cultural Revolution.

That is an enormous contrast to 2018-19, when 바카라사이트re were more than 480,000 international students, making China 바카라사이트 third largest recipient nation in 바카라사이트 world and 바카라사이트 largest in Asia. During that period, China adopted increasingly sophisticated ways of interacting with foreign students, including better curriculum design and services such as banking, insurance, healthcare and alumni outreach.

The paper calls 2010 ¡°a new starting point for education development in China¡±, with international offerings expected to be ¡°compatible with China¡¯s rising international status.¡± Internationaliation was linked to ¡°national strategy and [바카라사이트] national image¡±. Universities were expected to ¡°cultivate large numbers of [international] graduates who know China and treat China [in a] friendly [manner]¡±.

But one hurdle has actually been domestic, 바카라사이트 paper says, as 바카라사이트 quality of international students is ¡°questioned by 바카라사이트 public¡±, especially due to a ¡°misunderstanding that 바카라사이트 Chinese government sponsors most of those international students through scholarships¡±.

There is some truth to that view. Overseas recruitment is tied to diplomatic projects such as 바카라사이트 Belt and Road Initiative, which includes 10,000 scholarships a year for students from participating countries, most of which are developing nations in Africa,?바카라사이트 Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia.??

The image problem is compounded by 바카라사이트 fact that only about half of international students are in degree programmes, which is a lower?proportion than in traditional Western receiving countries.

¡°Considering 바카라사이트 controversy over 바카라사이트 quality of education for international students, raising 바카라사이트 percentage of degree students is a helpful strategy to realise high-quality expansion,¡± 바카라사이트 paper says.

Recruitment has slowed this year, as it has all over 바카라사이트 world,?because of Covid border restrictions that have kept international students at home. However, Dr Zhang said that only time would tell if that was a long-term trend.

¡°Education is a key strategy to enhance China's ¡®soft power¡¯,¡± she said. ¡°Chinese HE is expected to attract more international students by improving its quality.¡±

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com?